TCM Classic Film Festival (2013) Picture Tour

Introduction

Welcome to our picture tour of some of the venues of the TCM Classic Film Festival, centered on Hollywood Boulevard in the historic heart of the film industry. All the films at the 2013 festival fit into one of nine programming themes related to the overall festival theme, Cinematic Journeys: Travel in the Movies. Most of the films had a guest speaker in attendance. A list of the films we saw at the festival is at the bottom of the page.

Hollywood Boulevard

Each star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame celebrates an outstanding contributor to an area of entertainment. The symbol on the star indicates the field including film, music, television, and radio. The first eight stars were placed at the corner of Hollywood Boulevard and Highland Avenue in 1959. A plaque in the street commemorates the event.

The Hollywood Roosevelt

The Hollywood Roosevelt, which opened in 1927 at the corner of Hollywood and Orange Boulevards, was the official host hotel and center of festival events. The handsome Spanish Colonial Revival Style lobby housed an information desk, a boutique, and Club TCM, which offered exhibits, presentations, and a place for festival pass holders to relax between films.

Grauman's Chinese Theatre

Grauman's Chinese Theatre, opened 1927, enlivens the street scene. Its unusual form was modeled on the structure of a Chinese palace. The forecourt contains the hand and footprints of many famous actors.

Grauman's Egyptian Theatre

Grauman's Egyptian Theatre, opened 1922, charms the movie patron with exotic and colorful decorations. A long forecourt lined with palm trees leads to the entrance. Forms and figures associated with ancient Egypt decorate the theater inside and out. Several small restaurants and shops open onto the forecourt from its east side. The interior has been renovated, but in the auditorium a small section of the ceiling shows some of the original decor.

El Capitan Theatre

Opened in 1926, the El Capitan was first a playhouse and then became a movie theater in 1941. Restored in 1989, it now shows only Disney films. This theater is across the street from Grauman's Chinese Theater.

Posters

Film festival posters feature stylized figures representing various film genres, i.e. western, war, romance, etc. Each of this year's posters features a split body, in which the grafted upper and lower halves represent different genres.